Now, What?
by Fe24
Summary: Phantom Planet never happen. Danny is 24, graduating from College, and things will get a little out of control when his parents go to the ceremony. Warning: Eventual DannyxVlad
1. Chapter 1: Revelation

Hi everybody, this is my first fanfic. I still don't know how to use the page correctly nor how to write proper English, so I appreciate any kind recommendation. I hope you find the story at least a little bit interesting.

Bye :)

CHAPTER 1: Revelation

There it was. The sight that so many times has woke him up cover in cold sweet since he was fourteen. But he wasn't fourteen anymore and it wasn't a nightmare, so he couldn't wake him free this time. He was twenty four now, and graduating from the same University as his parents who have come to congratulate him. They have even put away their hazmat suits for the occasion, but wasn't congratulation what display in their eyes. Because he wasn't fourteen anymore but he looked exactly the same as he have in those days. Realization knocking them harder than the worst lab explosion ever.

Danny froze, diploma in hand, smile plastered in his face but eyes that didn't match with the expression. Breath caught in his throat, and a gelid wave swamping him from inside out. An alien sensation, because the cold wasn't flooding from his ice core but from his human heart, and the numbness it spreaded wasn't comforting and peaceful but aching all over.

-"What are you?" Was all Maddie could muster -"What have you done to my baby?"

Danny had practiced in front of the mirror a million times what to say when the time came, how to look at them, how to stand... How silly of him. He almost laugh to himself, how could he do all that when he couldn´t breathe right now?

He saw his sister talking but all he could heard was a confusing buzz; glassy eyes; white knuckles, she was gripping his parents arms (Was it for getting their attention, or for stopping them?); mom's knees were shaking; dad's feet were still. _'Ummm'_ he thought, 'I'm sinking, ha, like literally sinking, I can't even get a hold of my powers'

Such a seconds lower, and it was all so still, so peaceful, almost as if he hadn't broken his parents hearths back there. He touched the floor and staid motionless in the dark, hopeful that it may engulf him. He wanted to disappear but couldn't muster the force to move, least even to fly off. Although his parents would find him if he didn't move.

-"...iel, Daniel!"

 _'That horrible low voice...Tsk, of course he would be here, he probably owns the University'._ Vlad was the last person he wanted to see right then. He was also the only person in the world who could make him invisible and phase him out of there and... he really didn't have to see him. Danny didn't remember haven closed his eyes but didn't attempt to open them.

-"Take me out of here" Danny whispered.

Well, what do you say? Should I keep going?


	2. Chapter 2: Resolution

Hello again! Sorry for the waiting u.u I hadn't have thought of a story when I wrote the first chapter. It was a sort of experiment so it was a beautiful surprise when I get reviews, and follows! XDXD So thank you very much to everyone who read the first chapter and now is willing to read the second and sorry for the mistakes but it would be lovely if you could quote me some so I could learn from them.

 **To** **Fiera the Proud :** Thank you so much! Your review made me very happy and I appreciate a lot your corrections. Your assumptions were correct, I'm not a native speaker and I'm not living in an English speaking country so your instructions help me a lot. I hope it shows in the following chapter ;)

Chapter 2: Resolution

 _'Did I pass out? What hap-Mom!, oh no, mom and dad, they...ah, Vlad'_ (Danny tentatively shifted position) _'Well, I'm not handcuffed or anything, that's good, right?... Oh, God, What now?; I just...I don't wanna wake up. Warm, it's warm here and soft, so soft. Don't open your eyes. Don't make it real. Just lets sleep a little more Danny, yes...that's'_

-"Stop pretending Daniel. I know you are awake." Vlad sounded far more tired than he wanted to admit. He couldn't understand why he has taken Danny. _'Well, of course Daniel had asked for it'_ Vlad thought briefly _'Sweet Daniel had asked so nicely. He actually muster all force left to plead for my help before collapsing in my arms. I couldn't possibly...But I shouldn't have been there in the first place'_

He knew he shouldn´t be near Daniel. He knew since he had realize the true nature of his feelings for the little halfa. For six years he has done it so well. Maybe some spying now and then, but nothing too bold, nothing too risky. And this, right now, it was way too risky. If the rejection of a delusional love had hurt him so badly... He shivered just at the thought of the power Daniel had over him. He, who has maneuvered his way to the top of the world alone and known the darkest secrets of the most powerful people of the world. He was as defenseless and hopeless as a newborn when it comes to dealing whit Danny.

No matter the course of action, he had envisioned himself either as a lonely dry shell of a person, living from the drops of poisoning satisfaction that witnessing his little badger deserved happiness from afar could give him, or as a broken excuse of a monster deprived of all hope to ever see some strand of brightness ever again, after the ultimate denial of love. Vlad had chosen the less painful of the alternatives. But his recent actions drove him dangerously near the most hideous path.

Danny coughed soundly bringing Vlad's toughs back to the room.

-"Yes little badger?" Vlad said while appreciating the sight of Danny's form shifting a little under the covers. It made a beautiful scene that Vlad wanted to engrave in his memory for all the eternity.

-"Where am I Vlad?" Danny didn't sound totally awake yet.

-"In the second safest place of the castle Daniel. I anticipated that you wouldn't appreciate waking up in the lab, Would you?" Vlad's voice was even, perfectly masquerading the rush of emotions washing all over himself at the moment.

-"Oh... Uum, Thanks I guess. The sheets are really comfy." Danny emphasized the sentence by rubbing his cheek in the pillow.

 _'Oh perfect! he'll give me a heart attack without even notice'_ Vlad though harshly but keep talking in the same tone as before -"Oh, well, thank you Daniel. I ge-"

-"Wait! This room... is this YOUR bedroom?! Oh god, this is YOUR BED!" Danny was panicking a little there.

-"Oh shut up Daniel! We both know this is not the reason you should be panicking right now. So cut your childish blabbering and listen." Vlad commanded his best authoritarian voice, trying to camouflage his anxiety.

Danny felt his cheeks redden a little. He didn't need Vlad's words to know he was acting childishly here, but he couldn't help it. In mere seconds his life had turned upside down and he needed something safe, something to remain the same. Vlad being a creep, he could deal with that, that was 'the normal'. But Vlad suddenly acting kind and helping him; he deep inside feeling glad to be here with Vlad and not alone after all that happened; that felt plain wrong.

-"As you should have already noticed, I mean no harm for you nor your family anymore. I shouldn't have meddled in your business, but as a matter of fact, I already did. So don't be afraid to ask for my support, no matter what. Take it as a compensation for previous offences." Vlad was using his neutral busyness voice. He pointed in the direction of a nearby chair and continued talking "The rest of your belongings is in that chair. You can stay as much as you want. If you want to eat something just go to the kitchen and ask for it. I'll be in my study"

Without waiting for an answer, Vlad left the room. Danny's gaze was rapidly distracted from the door's frame by the insistent light of his cell phone. There was a massive amount of missing calls and a text message from Jazz:

 _ **I told them everything. Please little brother come back home. You'll be safe, I promise.**_

Danny closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He didn't know if it was due for Vlad's words or what, but he really felt safe in the room. However, he wouldn't won anything postponing the inevitable and there wasn't much thinking to do in the matter. He had to face his parents.

That's it for now. Please review and quote mistakes and I'll keep going :)


	3. Chapter 3: Response

Hi! I didn't have any feed back for the last chapter, but I'm updating anyway :). Sorry they are so short, but writing in English is really wearing.

Enjoy! (I hope)

Chapter 3: Response

Danny fly his way to Vlad study's front door and changed back, waiting for a few moments before knocking timidly. At the other side of the door Vlad was going through the pile of important documents over his desk restlessly without actually reading anything.

-"Come in" Vlad ordered while kept faking some working, not lifting his face from the papers until he heard Danny's steps stop in front of his imposing desk.

-"Sorry to interrupt, I..." Danny murmured, lifting his right hand to his nape and looking at his black shoes. _'You already disrupt his working Fenton, just speak quickly and left before he rightfully kicks your butt out of here'_ "I thought I should let you know I'm leaving" He said quickly and turned around.

-"Wait! Daniel, do you have a place to go? If you need time alone to sort things out, I assure you I won't bother you here, but you can also stay in any other of my properties, of course. If you need money-" Vlad Masters was rambling and he knew it. He could heard just perfectly how pathetic it sound and he was heating his current inability to shut his mouth, but he couldn't help it. He was already emotionally exhausted and the prospect of losing track of his little badger so soon after having him peacefully sleeping in his own bed just minutes ago was simply too much.

-"Oh, umm, no Vlad, I... I didn't mean like I'm running away. I just, I think I have to go back home and talk to my parents or something, like that's the right thing to do, right?" Vlad's words had taken Danny by surprise. _'Oh great! Now we are asking VLAD MASTERS what's the RIGHT thing to do?! Real genius Fentom'_ Danny's brain was being particularly nasty this morning. He clearly became his worst enemy when he was stressed. _'Do I sound a little like Dash when I'm being mean with myself? Gross'_ But Danny's contemplations were distracted by what he thought was some blush in Vlad's cheeks.

-"Oh, I see" Vlad could feel his face getting warmer from embarrassment and couldn't help but wish he were the one with the ice powers. "Good luck then. And don't look that miserable, they are your family, they'll still love you no matter what, remember?" Vlad tried to lighten the mood with a poor imitation of Danny's voice. Mocking the little halfa always helped him to regain his cool.

-"I remember you didn't use to agree with that statement" Danny replied somberly.

-"Well, I was at a total loss if you spilled the beans. You can't blame me for not being sincere back then little badger" Vlad's eyes were warm while he conveyed the message, trying to swept all Danny's insecurities away. It hurt him to see his little badger's anguished fidgeting (when wasn't him the source of said fidgeting, of course).

\- "And now?" Danny was looking expectant as if Vlad was an ancient oracle that would tell him exactly what will gonna happen from now on; as if what Vlad were about to said had the power to dictate his future actions. And Vlad felt that if he didn´t repay Danny with honesty this time, he wouldn't have another chance. How could two simple words hold so many implications? But it weren't the words itself, but the look behind them. Those lovely deep blue eyes, expectant, the only eyes that could pierce through Vlad´s soul, scrutinizing. Vlad sensed his self-preservation instincts being dismantled by that look and his bare feelings leaked into his response.

-"I'm still at lose here if you decide to reveal my secret little badger. But I don't think you would harm me, at least not on purpose, because it's not in your nature to be a vengeful person Daniel. I know you are a better human being than myself and anyone who knows you can see that. So, no matter how fanatic about ghost hunting your parents are, they'll never see you as a monster."

Danny didn't know how to react to that. He was furiously blushing and his mouth was so dry that even if he had wanted to said "going ghost" before flying full speed in the direction of his house, he wouldn't had been able to. _'What the heck?_ _Vlad just admitted to be inferior to me in something? When everything calms down I definitely have to find out what happened with him in the last years'_

Next chapter Danny will have some chat with his parents. I start to have an idea as of where this story will be heading to, but I accept suggestions.


	4. Chapter 4: Reunion

Hi strangers of the Internet! I get a new review and some new followers and that give me motivation needed to keep going. So, my original plan to improve my writing abilities with the aid of your feed backs either went extremely well and after the first chapter my writing is now spotless (yeah... don't think so) or well, it clearly wasn't one of my most brilliant ideas, so, whatever. The point is that regardless the motive that get me to start this, now I have twelve new ones, yes you read it right! Twelve anonymous beautiful souls are already following this attempt of a story.

So, for each one of you, my lovely followers, I dedicate the next chapter to you.

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Chapter 4: Reunion

Vlad's words have helped to distract Danny a good part of the way home, but with the ominous sign of 'Fenton works' on sight, the fear and anxiety struck again with full force. Danny dragged himself tortuously the last two hundred meters to the nearest ally and landed with a deaf thump. He checked twice before turning himself visible and let two rings of light roamed his body, taking his ghost form with them. Somehow the neighborhood seemed quieter than usual, dissipating any hope to be interrupt before reaching the front door.

A voice in the back of his mind kept nagging him about not being prepare for this yet, making the lump of cold despair inside his chest grew a bit bigger with each step. He hadn't been prepare to turn half ghost; he hadn't been prepare to fight his first ghost; he hadn't been prepare to save the Ghost Zone. Any of those experiences could have killed him but he survived, and yet, knowing that didn't make him feel better. Because he hadn't tried to prepare for those and failed horribly.

Danny didn't realize he was shaking until he rose his hand to ring the doorbell. He smacked his cheeks with both hands, took a deep breath and rang the bell. With his enhance senses he could feel some gasps inside the house followed by utter silence and then light but decided steps approaching him. Jazz opened the door and her face lightened when she saw Danny, almost making him fall with the force of her hug. Barely seconds later he was in the middle of the living room, in the center of a big family hug. Both his parents had their eyes tightly closed but by the humidity of their eyelashes Danny could tell they have been crying. knowing he was the cause of those tears broke his heart.

-"I'm so sorry, I'm so so sorry" Danny voice quivered.

-"Don't!" Jack's strong voice made Danny startled a little and Maddie took the post while resting a reassuring hand in his husband's shoulder.

-"Honey, you are not the one who have to apologize here" Maddie's sweet voice made Danny impossible to contain his tears.

-"For all the heavens son, we!... We shot you" jack's voice struggled with the second part, but Danny catch it anyway.

-"I didn't want to lie to you. It's just, I was so scared" Danny let out while sobbing.

-"Shh, shh, It's all right now honey. We gonna fix it, don't worry" Maddie reassured.

-"Have you eaten baby brother?" Jazz interrupted and Danny stomach responded for him.

The dinner developed without any emotional outburst and a lot of small chat. Jazz didn't let silence hit the table not even once and once finished the dessert she rapidly suggested going straight to bed after the long day. Danny didn't realize just how tired he was until then. However Maddie's voice froze them before reaching the stairs.

-"Danny, baby, Would you mind if we run some testes on you before you go to sleep?" Maddie asked with her best motherly voice.

-"Mom!" The rage was evident in Jazz's tone. They exchanged glances briefly, as if they were having the rematch of a previous discussion, before Maddie's attention drove back to Danny.

-"Honey, I understand if you are too tired now, but this is important. We don't know how much the accident affected your body, you could be in danger. All of this is our fault, we can't pretend everything is alright and if then another aftereffect worsen your condition..." Maddie's voice was wavering. Jack was right by her side, hugging her tenderly with one hand and directing pleading eyes to Danny.

-"No, it's fine. I don't mind getting tested, if that helps you stop worrying then it's alright" Danny lied through his teeth but he couldn't stand looking at his parents while answering so he looked at Jazz instead. Big mistake. That dreadful combination of worry and pity in her eyes made earlier dinner and dessert revolt painfully in Danny's stomach.

-"Lets head to the lab then" Jack was already marking the path.

Danny walked to a secluded part of the laboratory. It was surprisingly cleaner than the rest, there was a single anti-ghost metal gurney in the middle of the room and a lot of terrifying looking surgical instruments in display on the walls. Danny winced _'Oh god, this is where they dissect the ghosts they catch? Or well, would they catch a ghost, here'd be the place where they would ripped them apart, molecule by molecule, like dad likes to say_. _Oh Jesus! They already catch one, and no other than the Ghost Boy'._ Danny was clearly hyperventilating.

\- "Make yourself comfortable honey" Said Maddie while waving to the hard gurney.

-"Danny, what happen sweet heart? Danny, babe, calm down, breath with me, that's good, yes, it's all right, breath with me" Maddie's motherly tone was reassuring, so as her hands drawing circles against Danny's tense muscles.

-"I..I d don't want, I don't want" Danny was clutching to his mother with all he got and trembling so badly. Maddie had to strain her ears so as to no miss what he was saying. Jack, a few steps apart, couldn´t hear nor understand what was happening.

-"You can talk to us baby, it's fine, we won't get mad, what it is that you don't want?" Maddie's voice kept reassuring and her hands didn´t stop even for one second. Despise her small internal panic, she offered him a warm smile.

-"I don't want to be dissected mom, please, please mom, I'm still your son mom, I love you, I love you mom, please, I swear" The words rushed out fast and needy and stopped when Danny felt that his mother's hands were no longer caressing his back.

The first thing Danny saw when he opened his eyes can only be described as utterly horror, that was what was plastered in his father's face. He took some steps back, Maddie's body opposing zero resistance to the breaking of the embrace. He could see her eyes watering really fast, her expression a mixture of sorrow, fear and a lot of guilt.

-"Oh god no, no Danny, we would never, we didn't-" Maddie wanted to reach him and pull him into a big hug and tell him everything would be all right but she was frozen. Her body refused to obey her orders because deep down she didn't feel she had the right to comfort his own son. Because she knew she was the cause of his recent break down, and lots of scars and bruises back in High School... and probably most of his nightmares too.

-"We just want to cure you son" Jack's voice reverberated in the lab, instantly catching all the attention.

-"Cure me? But I'm not ill" Danny felt exhausted and confused, but did his best to try and understood what was going on.

-"You are half dead Danny, because of us. I know we can fix it" Jack has moved and was now right next to Maddie.

-"I-I'm sorry, I don't... I need some time, sorry" Danny was already running out of the room at mid sentence. By the time Jack and Maddie reach out the room, the lab was empty and the portal was closing.

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Already guessed where he is heading for? Bribe me with your attention and will get a less stressing more lovely chapter next time ;)


	5. Chapter 5: Rest

Hello strange of the internet! First of all, sorry for this chapter being as short as the first one I wrote. The thing is I started writing the chapter and then I read SmilingAnne comment and as you may know if you read my ramblings, I didn't start writing this story with something like a plot sorted out, so I thought _'Wouldn't it be nice to write 3 options for chapter 5? The one I thought, one in which Danny meet Clockwork and one in which Danny meet Ghostwriter_ '. That's how three alternative story lines popped up in my head, but when I commented my awesome idea to my older sister, she more or less said that I was an awful writer, that it'll break the illusion of reality of the story and that it was my responsibility to choose the course of the story, not your burden. So... yeah, I've been in deep meditation, while you were waiting for a really short chapter :(

Chapter 5.1: Rest

Danny was crossing the Ghost Zone in auto pilot, his body pulling him mindlessly to the latest safe place his memory had record for. He was a total wreck and didn't know how he has managed to fly between portals without collapsing in the middle of the eternal nebula of the Ghost Zone when he let himself drop in the heavenly soft mattress of the second safest place of certain castle.

It had been a hell of a day for Vlad Masters. All those years of cultivating the exact distance between him and young Daniel to keep his sanity at bay wasted in seconds for a brainless impulse. He had made change his room's sheets for perfume deprived ones so not to spoil the scent of Daniel in his bed, just how badly that spoke of his state of mind? But he hadn't laid with his little badger in bed, no, he had resisted stoically the urge of crawling right over him. The extraordinary display of will's strength had turned his brain to mush. That and the reaction Danny had had to his most sincere confession. He had just fly off, without looking back, not even a spare word.

Vlad just wanted to crash in his bed and never wake up. At least the Daniel in his dreams did reciprocated his feelings. He hadn't even the force of will to fold his suit, just phased all his clothes off and climbed into bed. The sheets election had been definitely a great idea, he will have the most vivid dream in years. That was what he was thinking when sleep took over a smiley Vlad.

Haven't been more than a few hours when a dead weight crashing in bed startled Vlad from his sleep. _'What the...Daniel?'_ A lump very similar to Phantom had fallen face first next to him. Immediately an annoying flash of light blinded him for a few moments. It surely was one of his most realistic dreams, but was far to be one of the most pleasurable. Vlad tilted Danny's head to his side and could see a trail of dried tears on his cheek.

-"Oh, my Daniel, why have you cried?" Vlad hated the dreams when Danny suffered. Hadn't the poor enough amount of suffering in his real life?

-"Vlad?" Danny's voice was hoarse, as if talking were pulling an exceptional exertion to his vocal cords.

-"Hush my Little Badger, I'm here, everything is all right now" Vlad felt Danny's body stiffen in his embrace. He started working his hands across Danny's back, meticulously loosening the hard muscles in his slim frame. After a while Danny was beginning to relax in his arms, that was better.

Not long after that, Vlad was hearing the even breath of a sleeping Danny. He phase comforter and sheet through Danny's body and clutched him tightly against his naked form, relinquishing in Danny's scent. Vlad felt an innocent pleasure from the simplicity of the dream. Who would thought he was such a humble man that just Danny's heat next to him was enough to make him happy. Not that he could've done much more than hugging Danny, for being a dream he was utterly exhausted.

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I'll may be posting the alternative chapters in separate stories, so to not mess whit this story content. Or not, and I'll just keep writing this story, I don't know, help?


	6. Chapter 6: Realisation

Hi again!, It's been a while... Emmm, I don't know what I'll do with this story, but this chapter is dedicated to Rosefirestorm4!

Chapter 6: REALISATION

Vlad didn't wanna blink, not to miss an instant of the scene displaying in front of him. _'Not a dream'_ helpfully supplied his brain. _'Not a dream indeed',_ the former teen was wraped around his body like an octopus. Vlad's right leg encased between both of Daniel's, he could feel the gosht of Danny's breath plebing his left nipple, somehow during the night the boy has managed to locked his hands in Vlad's shoulders from behind. The position leaved his arms free to rummage through his little badger's body... but would he dare? _'It's not as if he would realise anyway'_ He got his right hand under Daniel's shirt and deposited it in the smooth skin between his shoulder blades, moving in soothing circles. Vlad was pleased to note that his little badger didn't flinch from his touch. He slept so peacefully, hadn't Vlad known better he'd never guess such a fearless warrior the child could be.

And what a wonderful unblemished soft skin his little badger had. He couldn't help but reach for the raven locks with his left hand _'silky and just...perfect'_. What wouldn't the man give to wake like this every day for the rest of his life? The thought of that posibility left him wounded and bitter. Life really love to tease him, just when he was regaining his sanity, finding some kind of equilibrium, it came and give him a bite from the forbiden fruit.

A stirring woke him from his internal sorrow. Vlad stilled himself, closed his eyes and evened his breath.

"Mmmmghh" Danny wriggled a little. The matress was harder than his, and too warm. Danny opened his eyes to a well defined torso _'Not a matress'_ helpfully supplied his brain. Danny frozed. His brain waking up inmediatly without even a drop of cofee, but he didn't have time to gloate in that little detaille right now. Danny tried to get up, but the arms that were holding him didn't budge _'Ok. So, I'm not in pain, that's good. I'm in a stranger bed, hugging a stranger, that's not so good'_. Danny very carefully dislodge his hands from Vlad's shoulders. _'Now, I'm not hugging the stranger anymore, that's an improvement. Lets see... Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!, nude stranger! The stranger have no pants! I'm in bed with a NUDE DUDE!. Breath Danny, breath, just remember. I can feel I'm clothed at least. I even have my shoes on, what the?- Oh!, last night needed to leave and- I remember that bedside table, crap!, please don't have silver hair, please don't ha-, doble crap!. I'm dead, I'm so dead, Vlad finally gonna kill me and not for ruinning one of his evil plans but for sneaking in his bed while he was sleeping...NAKED. That's it. I'll-'_

Vlad could almost taste the panick in his little badger. He had given him some time, so he could phase him and leave the room, but it clearly wasn't gonna happen in the near future and he didn't trust his body not to react if Daniel kept trembling over him. He moved the hand that was in danny's hair over his head, but pressed harder with the one in his back while he stretched his body. He felt a sharp inhale of breath and couldn't surpress the shiver. He opened his eyes slowly and stilled.

"Daniel?" Vlad's voice was the perfect blend of fake innocence and curiosity.

"I...Yeah?" Danny could feel cold sweat pouring from his back and the palm of his hands.

Daniel sounded embarresed, a little guilty and...scared? Vlad could work with that. He brought himself to a sitting position, earning a lapful of his little badger in the precess, and took Daniel's face in his hands. "What happened? Are you all right?"

Danny had shutted his eyes and his face was of a delectable bright red. It took everything on Vlad not to reach for those trembling lips.

"Nude, I'm mean good! I'm good. I'm sorry, I don't know how I ended up crashing in your bed, I mean, I know I flied here, but I wasn't really thinking, but you gave me permision to come here right?, I mean, not here, here, but. Please don't kill me?" Daniel was even brigther red if possible.

"I'm not gonna kill you Daniel. Why don't you calm yoursef down a little and you told me what happened while we eat breakfast?"

"All right, I- That's a good idea" Daniel was starting to relax a little. Didn't tought Vlad would take the invasion so calmly. _'Once I sort out my problems I'm definitely investigating what happened with Vlad'_

"But first, Would you get off my lap so I can dress myself?" Vlad was a devious man after all.


	7. Chapter 7: Resourceful

Hi! So, another chapter. Enjoy! (I hope)

Chapter 7: RESOURCEFUL

Vlad had health, wisdom and wealth beyond commond people's craziest dreams. He was the true 'human' encarnation of a Phoenix, having risen from that lugubrious hospital bed stronger than ever. He had built a name, an empire, from the ashes of his previous self, without anyones help, and took pleasure in watching the strugle of others from above. He had done everything in his power so to never have to feel as powerless as he felt in those years after the accident ever again. And here he was, tearing from the inside while watching his little badger suffer. All the money and power in the world useless, because what Daniel needed right now was a friendly ear, a warm hug, calming words, and Vlad Masters was no friend (not from a long time ago), his touch was not welcome, his words would always arouse suspicion in the ears of Daniel.

"I could contact Samantha and Mr. Foley" Molten lava would surely come out smoothlier from his mouth.

Danny was in front of a mountain of delicious plates. From sweet to salty, everything you could think for a breakfast was there, and then some more. Unfortunately, his stomach was still in knots and refused to take anything solid.

"What? Oh, no. That camp is the big deal for them, even moved the date of the wedding so they coud make it their honey moon, you know? Plus, when Sam find out that I lied to her about my graduation, she'll kill me, haha" The laugh didn't reach his voice.

Vlad couldn't understand him. Didn't he feel betrayed? Hasn't he been in love with that obnoxious girl? _'Why do you keep putting everybody else's well being before yours?'_ But the question Vlad really wanted to ask was another. Of course it bothered him his little badger having such a long list of people he wanted to protect. It was a charge too heavy, to anybody. However, what hurt him the most was not having a place on that list. _'Why do the people I love never love me back?'_ It went without saying that that question will never left his lips, it sounded pathetic enough inside his mind.

"And it's nothing really. You were right... Hello, Earth calling Vlad! I said you were right. Are you really gonna let this opportunity pass? Not even an I told you so?" Danny was focusing all his attention in Vlad, as if trying to resolve an ancient puzzle. It was a new sensation to Vlad, being at the center of his little badger's scrutizing glance, not in the hope to find a weakness or a way to take him down, but to understand him. He didn't let himself soak in that glance and the 'what ifs' that it entailed for long though. A little bit of inocent dreaming kept him moving through the day, but loosing himself in an illution would end him.

"I´m not a child Daniel" Vlad sounded harsh, however Danny saw sadness and not anger in his eyes. "I din't brought you here to mock you, neither to be treated like a fool. Or are you gonna tell me you came here last night becouse you missed my bed too much?" Vlad aced in sounding sarcastic and not hopeful.

Danny hunched over himself and when he spoke, it was barely a whisper "They welcomed me back and forgave me for lying to them for years and... and I freaked out and flee... I made her cry Vlad, I made mom cry, I-" By the end Danny was a sobbing mess and couldn't talk anymore.

Before he could even realise he was moving, Vlad was already beside Danny, prying his hands from his wet face. "Stop Daniel! Look at me" Danny's eyes were puffy and red rimmed when he looked up at him from wet lashes that were clamped together. Vlad took Danny's chin with his left hand and tilted his head up, taking a napkin with his right hand and wipping his face clean. "Whatever it is your overworked brain is thinking right now, stop." Danny was quiet and looked a little desconderted by Vlad's touch, but not disgusted 'Good' "Now, I want you to take a deep breath, hold it, that's right...now let it go"

Danny did as commanded. It felt strange. The Danny from high school would have disobeyed Vlad, just for principle. But he really needed a breath _'just a little. It's not as if he doesn't have lots of blackmail material already. I'll just, just for a while. Yeah, stop thinking, just for a while, stop worrying, just for a while'._ It felt good to have someone else making the decisions. If anything went wrong would be all Vlad's fault _'Ha, serves you right fruitloop'_

Danny was pliant in his hand, his eyes attentive, although...glassy _'Cheese logs!'_ "Rest your back in the chair Daniel" Danny did.

"Relax your body Daniel" Danny did.

"Close your eyes" Danny did.

 _'kiss me'_ The brief thought made him recoile.

Vlad mouth was painfully dry. He'd never used his hipnotic powers in people, at least not in the ones who matter. But having seen his little badger in that state and having felt so useless must have unconsciously triggered it. Vlad Masters didn't cope well with useless. So here he was, his little badger like putty in his hands, breath even, face peaceful (and almost smiling?). It was wrong, it was _'so easy, so shamefully tempting. Just name it, and he'll do it and you'll learn how it feels to truly despice yourself'._

Vlad huffed soundly and broke the hipnosis, bracing himself for the worst. He didn't even turn into his ghost half to recibe the blow. He deserved the full force of it and was waiting for it.

"Thank you" Danny's sweet words sounded like an alien riddle to Vlad's ears for a moment there. He definitely wasn´t waiting for that.

Danny almost cackled at Vlad's stupefacted face _'Oh! Came on!'_

"I'm not a child either, Vlad! I know how to be grateful, now tuck that face away." Danny spoke lightly.

 _'Didn't he realise what just happened? For God's sake Daniel, all those years of being in inminent peril didn't gift you with even an ounce of self preservation instinct?!'_ That was the time when a moral person would have explained Danny what had just taken place between them. Fortunatly for Vlad, he had never been accused of being moral (or a person).

"Why Daniel, I just didn't hear you quite right before. Would you repeat yourself?" Vlad said, far too smugly for Danny's taste.

"No way! I'm leaving fruitloop" Danny said while storming off.

Vlad could easely recognize a facade when he saw one, and Danny's was for far one of the worst he had seen in a that he could blame the boy. He had never seen Danny so emotionally strained, so fragile, and wasn't untrustworthy, epithet of Vlad. The sensible thing was to take some distance, and yet the knowledge wasn't enough to make the rejection burn less.

"And where exactly are you going Daniel?" All smugness gone from his voice.

Danny stopped. He needed some time, wasn't ready to meet his family again, didn't have faith in not messing it up again. He needed space, but the idea of being alone was dreadful.

"You can take the first room on your left, up the stairs. I won't bother you there." Vlad said, focus zeroed on the tense stance of Daniel from behind. Danny didn't move.

"If you need anything, just ask me" Danny deflate a little and hope was surely hard to kill, because Vlad could feel it kicking back to life with full force.

"A cellphone charger" Danny croaked out without looking back in Vlad's direction and headed up the stairs.

"Of course" Vlad whispered. He didn't care if his little badger had listened or if he had left thinking he had have the last word.

I'm wondering, for those who are liking the story so far: Are you native speakers? Or just have learned english some time in your lifes and can't really tell if I'm writing nonsense here and there?

PS: you could be awesome in english even if it's not your mother language. It wasn't my intention to be mean.


	8. Chapter 8: Ready

Hi! So, it's being a while... I started talking with a beta, but didn't make a lot of progress in that area, sorry, you'll have to keep enduring my writing errors. I promise I'll keep trying to find a beta reader.

Chapter 8: READY

Danny was in the ensuite bathroom, cold water running in the marble sink, head under the faucet. The soft murmur of the water, and the cool swirling through his head was always nice. _'What the hell are you doing Fenton? Grrrr'_ Danny pulled his hair with both hands while straightening, water soaking his shirt and making a little puddle on the floor.

"Shut!". Danny hurriedly closed the faucet and took a fluffy green towel to dry himself. He grimaced when looking down and took another towel to dry the floor when he sensed a ghost entering the bedroom. In a fraction of a second he was phasing the bathroom door in his ghost form, ready to attack.

At mere three steps from the door stood a beautiful young brunette. Spectraly bright grey eyes met his green ones, before she bowed her head and greeted him.

"Good morning young master, here's the charger your Excellency requested" The brunette said, bringing attention to the white box in her hands.

"Oh, thanks" Danny said while letting two white rings form around his body. They moved in opposite directions taking his ghost form with them. "But call me Danny please"

"It'll be my pleasure, Danny" The brunette with the spotless maid uniform answered with a lovely smile. "There is anything else I could bring you, Danny?"

"No, it's ok. Oh!, wait. Who are you?" Danny asked before the ghost girl could leave the room.

"Sorry, how rude of me to obviate presentations. You can call me Clare, I'm the head maid of this castle" Clare chirped. She would never get bored of the title.

Danny approached Clare slowly and took her hands reassuringly. "It's Vlad forcing you to work for him, Clare?" Danny asked concerned.

"Master Masters? Of course not, young Danny. It's a privilege to work for him." Clare said solemnly.

"Yeah... There is no way I'm believing that" Danny replied.

"For Pariah! You are worse than the stable boys!" Clare laughed loudly, but regained her composure quickly. "Look, I know it must be hard to understand to someone your age and time, but it was always my dream to be the head maid of a castle. For generations my family served noble families. It was my destiny, as the oldest child, to succeed my mother, but I died before reaching my goal. I was killed before given the chance to prove my worth. Vlad was the only one who saw my potential, and took me in despite my big mouth. He let me live in the human world again and fulfill my dream, my destiny." Clare spoke with a detached tone, as if narrating someone else's story.

Danny wondered how long has been since the girl's death (since she was killed he corrected himself). Maybe in a few years, he would look back to this moment of his life and remember it as a funny anecdote.

"Sorry, It's just...I can't really picture Vlad helping people...what?, just for the sake of it? I'm not trying to offend you, but, I'd be wary of him, that's all" _'And God, didn't it sound a bit hypocritical right now?'_ Danny winced internally.

"No offence taken. But don't take me as an act of charity, Danny. I'm a big asset to Master Vlad. Now, of course the world is full of fools who couldn't see my true value, but you won't be one of those, right?" Clare face was in between a pout and a scowl, and she was just too adorable to not light a smile on Danny's face.

"You sure have a big mouth, don't you?" Danny said in a friendly tone.

"My master appreciates me being smart and sassy. It makes him remember of some kind of rodent he is fond of." Clare said proudly.

"Weir-do" Danny sing-songed.

"Oh, shut up, stable boy" Clare commanded with faked annoyance while thrusting the white box with the charger in Danny's hands.

"Hey!" Was Danny's no so brilliant comeback, while Clare left the room laughing.

Danny saw her leave with a smile in his face, which died the second he focused his attention in the box in his hands. That had felt good, had felt normal. If light banter with a ghost could be called normal. It was Danny's normal at least, and he wanted it back. However, for him to accomplished that, he had to sort things out at home first. Which brought him back to the box with the charger in his hands.

Danny pulled his cell phone off his trousers pocket, and flopped it unceremoniously on the bed. Then took off his shoes, and sit cross legged on the bed, beside his phone, box in both hands. He took a deep breath, unwrapped the charger and plugged it. His finger started hovering over the power button almost immediately. His connection to the real world, just a twitch from his finger away. The simple act of press a button had never felt so heavy before, and he had fired weapons. _'Does that make me a bad person?'_ He closed his eyes and pressed the button before his musings could take him too far on that road of thoughts.

The moment the phone was switched on, Danny's ear was assaulted by the sound of Jazz ringtone.

I almost finished the next chapter, so I should be posting it soon :)

I'm trying to give Danny a little breather, because what's coming in a few chapters is not pretty (poor Daniel :'().


	9. Chapter 9: Reaffirmation

Chapter 9: REAFFIRMATION

"Hi, Jazz" Danny tried timidly.

"Oh thank God, Danny, where are you? Are you alright? Why weren't you answering your phone? Are you alright? Danny? Talk please" Jazz was hysterical, but was trying her best not to rise her voice.

Danny grimaced when hearing her sister's frantic words. She was talking softly, but her voice was rough underneath, as if she'd been shouting or crying for hours (probably both). His cobardly actions had not only hurt his parents, but his sister too. And there it was, that dreadful road again.

"I'm good, Jazz, I'm-" 'At Vlad's?, yeah, why don't just give her a heart attack too?' "I'm safe" 'Are you?' Danny's brain could maintain his cool in the most fierce of battles, but was his worst enemy in moments like these.

"What do you mean by safe, Danny? What happened?" Jazz asked worried.

'Oh, good job Fenton' Danny was getting exasperated, and guilt and exasperation didn't do wonders to Danny's speech.

"No, I mean, nothing-" Danny tried to reassure his sister, but she didn't let him.

"Stop, please Danny. Look, whatever happened last night, you don't have to tell me anything if you are not ready, ok? Just, don't lie to me, yes? Don't try to push me away, please." Jazz pleaded.

Danny wondered if it still hurt her that he had seeked the confort of his friends after the accident, instead of hers. He dreaded asking. _'God, Fenton, just change topics, quickly!'_

"Emmm, sure, so...How is mom and dad doing?" _'What?!, What?! That's it. I can't believe myself.'_

"They are in a guilt induced, scientific spree. For the moment, they refuse to see reason, keep saying once they finished, everything will get back to normal and you'll never be afraid of them again. I'll give them some days before we have a stern chat about their obsession with 'fixing' you." The annoyance was clear in her voice, but she composed herself quickly. "Don't worry, little brother, I'll make sure they eat properly and don't blow up anything." Jazz hadn't realise how tense she was until she let herself relax a little.

"Do you need anything, Danny?" Once the worry started to recede, exhaustion washed over her, but even then, she sounded more earnest than tired.

"I'm fine, Jazz, really" And it was true. If his parents believed they could fix all this, then he haven't screwed up so badly, right?

"I already transfered 200 to your bank account-" Jazz stated matter of factly.

"What?, no Jazz, I'm not taking your money. I'm a growned up man and-" Danny was having troubles to keeping up with Jazz.

"Yes, you are. And you'll always be my baby brother, so-" Jazz tone was almost cheerful now.

"I'm transfering it back" Danny cut.

"Oh, came on, Danny. Take it as a graduation gift" Was Jazz comeback, and Danny just huffed, it was useless to fight Jazz on this.

Silence stretched for a moment then.

"Congratulations" Was Jazz's chosen word to shatter that silence. "I never get to congratulate you in your graduation day, so... congratulations, I'm very proud of you, baby brother" And the pride was perceptible, but also the sadness it was laced with. The combo, making a lump formed in Danny's throat.

"Thanks" He managed to say without sounding too much like a dying toad, although rought enough to be a cue for his sister to end the phone call briefly after that.

Danny found himself lying in bed, he closed his eyes for a moment, trying to make sense of the emotional roller coaster that had been his last few days. He opened them again to the sound of someone knocking at his door.

"Lunch will be served in fifteen minutes, at the little tea room facing the greenhouse, Danny" were Clare's polite words, muffled by the big oak door.

Danny didn't respond, and went back to sorting his situation. He'll give his parents a few days, let them work in the lab all the time they wanted it. Their experiments always get them in a good mood. He'll let Jazz have all the talk she wanted too. Once the things had settle down at home, he'll face his family properly and he'll apologise for the troubles he had caused. It was a foolproof plan, most of it consisting in him doing nothing, he couldn't ruin it. And in the meanwhile, well, in the meanwhile...

His musing had been heard by Clare, because she barreled in with the answer. That, or she was fed up of being ignored all day, the halfa had the faint suspicion she had being knocking at his door a few more times in the course of the evening.

" .Masters" Clare made an overacted emphasis in each word.

"Oh, God, that's so not my full name" Danny jumped to a sitting position with an expression of horror subdued by the amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Shut up, you are taking me out of character" Clare hushed.

"Shutting up" Danny couldn't help but answer with mirth in his voice, mimicking to zip up his mouth.

"You, young boy, are coming down to dinner right this instant" Clare commanded while pointing with an accusing finger at Danny.

Her posture made him think of his big sister, even when the ghost girl could'n have been more than twelve when she died. There was just something in Clare that filled him with fondness and made him feel at ease.

"As you command, oh smart and beautiful head maid" Danny said with mock reverence.

"Your sugar-coating wont work on me Danny" Clare went for her scolding face and failed miserably.

It had totally worked.

NOTES: I'm such a lazy writer, sorry u.u

Sorry for the chat with Jazz too. It was so awkward, and I didn't like it when I read it again before publish it, like at all. But didn't occured to me how to make it better, and the promese to release this chapter quickly was sounding so fake already... Anyway, poor Jazz, she must think her little brother is in a cheap motel or something, but we know better (writer laugh aloud over her own creation's ignorance. She doesn't feel bad about it).

Next chapter, dinner with Vladdie ;)


	10. Chapter 10: Retreat

Chapter 10: RETREAT

 _'What now?'_ Vlad Masters knew it was a silly question, given the circumstances, but he couldn't help but wonder it. That's what Vlad did, he was a planner, he was meticulous. He always had a set of measures and counter-measures in march before he made his move, and made sure to have more intel than any other party involved. Always, except when his little badger entered the picture.

Brought him home the first time had been a foolish move. Preparing a room for him and asking him to stay, well, no word could decribe how silly that had been. He was walking blind there. His Daniel was brave, smart, caring, and loyal, but he was a horrible story teller. Vlad had no idea of what had happened with Danny once he left the mansion, neither he knew what the boy was planing to do next. That's why any attempt to come up with a plan of action for what to do now was futile, yet his brain refused to put his focus in anything else. Luckyly all his business were running smoothly, two days of neglecting his work wouldn't cause harm. However, it wasn't his company what was in danger, was it? It was Vlad's sanity.

Vlad sat up and started to pace through his office for the eighteenth time in the last four hours. Clare had said that Daniel was right when she went to deliver the charger, his shirt soaked in parts, but apart from that he seemed fine. Vlad betted his Daniel was more than fine with his wet shirt clinging in all the right places, but that wasn't the point. Daniel hadn't show up for lunch, nor he had given Clare permission to enter his room when Vlad had sent her with some snacks. It was logical for the boy to want some time to think things through, but it was almost dinner time and he haven't even touched his breakfast, and God knew his little badger couldn't get any thinner without turning full ghost.

"Clare" Vlad said, no need to rise his voice, just to enforce command in his tone (one of the many perks of having a ghost maid).

"Yes master?" Was Clare's bright response, upon materialising in front of him.

"Is dinner ready?" Vlad sounded anxious even for his own ears, and prayed for Clare not to point out that it wasn't dinner time yet. She was by far more efficient than a regiment of human maids, but had the not always appreciated gift of a sharp tongue.

"Almost ready, Sir. I could be setting dinner in fifteen, twenty minutes top, if you desire so" She was also the best in reading Vlad's mood, and felt an honest and unexplainable affection for the older halfa.

"That'd be great, thank you very much Clare. Oh!, and please make sure to carry a tray with a little bit of everything to Daniel's room, no matter if he doesn't want to." The anxiety was still palpable in his voice. His little badger had done quite a number on him, and if the worried glance Clare was throwing him was any clue, he wasn't the only one noticing it.

She didn't comment on it though, leaving with a brief "Of course, master" and a curtsy.

Vlad came back to his desk and entered a code in a hidden panel in his top drawer. It may be a lost cause try to control the situation when Daniel was involved, years of failed plans were more than enough proof of that. But he was Vlad Masters, and anxiously pacing around in his studio without doing anything simply wasn't his cup of tea.

"Skulker, I have a job for you" Vlad was using the profesional tone that has perfected over the years, the one that left no palce for questioning.

"Plasmius, it's been a while. I hope you have something interesting for me" Answered quickly the hunter, not even trying to contain the eagerness in his words.

"I have a job that will require of all your stealth as a hunter. I want you to go to Fenton Works and keep me informed of everything that's happening in the lab and the house. I also want you to investigate what happened there with Phantom last night, without being noticed, of course. I'll be waiting an in writing report every three hours. Please me, and the reward will be more than worth it, but remember, failure is not an option" Vlad merciless tone made the last part a little of an overkill.

"You are talking with the best hunter in the universe, Plasmius. This little task is like a child's game to Skukler" Said the ghost before finishing the communication.

Vlad found himself emotionally exhausted, while staring at the dead intercom. He had fell into spying the Fentons againg. He was supposed to had evolved into an occasional stalking. It was supposed to be for the best. He knew his efforts would only help him to reopen old wounds that never got the chance to heal (but al least weren't a bleeding mess anymore). He also knew he had been fighting a loosing battle these last years, even if he didn't want to admit it. He would hate to be compared to a brainless moth being lulled by the flame, unable to fight the deadly pull, but wasn't the metaphore uncomfortably accurate? Haven't the Fentons burned him enough already? Didn't he feel the ghostly heat coiling tightly in his insides, every day since the accident?

 _'Oh Clare'_ , Vlad didn't know if to bless or blast her.

The dinner was set in the inner garden, there were golden paper lanterns hanging low around a circular table dressed with a green tablecloth, candles and... were those phantom orchids? There was a person already seated at the table, Vlad could recognize that back anywhere. He saw the shiver running down his spine, surley warning him of the presence of a ghost.

"Oh, thank God, I was starving here. It's time to probe if your cooking is as good as you bragged. I'm starting to fear that the nice setting is you trying to overcompensate for your lack of culinary skills. That, or you are trying to woo me-" Danny said in a teasing tone while turning "Vlad?" Danny's gaze settled on the older halfa, face draining of color and mouth suddenly too dry.

 _'Oh Clare, you have no idea what have you done here'_ Danny could practically see the gears running in Clare's head, and the bottom of his stomach was feeling like lead already. Setting someone up to a romantic dinner with a crazy fruitloop was a really funny prank; remembering a crazy fruitloop, who also happen to be one of the most powerful beings you ever met, and the person who saved your skin two times in a row in the last twenty four hours, without asking anything in return, that he is a sad bitter bachelor by setting him up to a prank romantic dinner with the son of the uncorrespondig love of his life, that was a horrible, suicidal idea.

Vlad knew this moment will come, but it didn't make it less painful. The expression of his little badger was one of utter horror and revulsion, and he was the cause of it, because he had been too obvious, because he was a man, because he was of his parents age, because he wasn't love material. And with that last thought, the searing fury that had hunted Vlad for so long that he didn't remember his life without that hateful itch under his skin, broke free. Vlad had already resigned himself to not being loved, but why couldn't he love without being hated for it, without being made fun of, without being ostracized.

In the blink of an eye Vlad was in front of Daniel, yanking his head up and making him look right into his eyes. He'd made his little badger forget, he'd profane his mind again (this time intetionally), and sure he will hate himself for it later, but he refused to give up to his right to love, there was just so much that could be taken from him if nobody wanted to see the world burned to ashes. _'Sorry'_ Vlad thought briefly before activating his power, but he stopped dead in his tracks when his thoughts were mirrored by Danny's words.

"Sorry!" Danny's eyes were impossibly bigger than usual, and he knew he sounded panicked, but he couldn't help it, he really didn't want to fight, and didn't know what to do or say to help his situation there. Although the sting in his scalp eased the moment he opened his mouth, so apologizing would be his way to go then.

"I'm so sorry, I swear, it wasn't me, it wasn't my idea. It was Clare, but it wasn't her fault either, she didn't know what she was doing. I'm sure she didn't wanna cause any harm. I'll clean everything and I'll leave-" Danny was babbling non stop, and he was pretty sure a pause for breathing would be necessary if he didn't want to faint, but if Vlad's dumbfounded face was any prooof, his rambling was being effective.

"No!" Vlad looked shocked by the tone of his own voice for a moment, but he composed himself immediately, released Danny's hair and took a step back. "No need to apologize Daniel, it's alright. It's been a long day, and I guess I overreact a little, but I'm not mad at you. My offer for you to stay here for as long as you need is still in place" Vlad was straining to sound light and cordial, but it was obvious that something was off. _'Time for a tactical retreat'_ "I'll get Clare to get ride of all this and make sure we'll never get a repeat of whatever this thing was" Vlad said hastily, and was turning when was stopped by Danny's hand catching his sleeve.

Vlad didn't look back. He could feel his heart frantically racing. He needed some time to analize the situation, not having quite undestood the exchange of moments ago. He had already miraculously dodge a bullet today, but didn't want to tempt his luck by engaging in a conversation with Daniel when he wasn't in his right set of mind.

"It's not her fault, she doesn't know" Danny insisted.

Vlad huffed tiredly _'and leave it to Daniel to be always worried for someone else'_ "I'm not gonna harm her, Daniel, I'm just gonna talk to her. She's been making me company for years now, I know she is good natured" Vlad was relieved to feel Daniel's grip vanished, marking the end of the conversation.

They ended up eating in the kitchen bar, all the surface covered in delicious, healthy snacks that could be eaten by hand. Danny made of tasting a little of everything his personal goal, not even the scare of moments before had made a dent in his hunger. Sadly, there was something that didn't let him truly enjoy his tasty meal. Now that he had somehow sorted his problems out (more or less), it was even more obvious that something was off with Vlad.

The fuitloop had assured him that everything was cool (not in that words, but that had surely been the meaning), and had asked him to enjoy dinner. However, every time he made any sound to emphasize just how good the food was, Vlad glared at him as if his face had personaly offended The Packers or something. _'It's not as if I'm gonna eat all your food, there is enough for at least three Tuckers here, and you're barely touching anything anyway. If something is bothering you just tell me already! Yes, that's it. I'm gonna look him to the eye and say: If somehing is bothering you, just tell me already. Yes, you can do it, of course you can do it. First, look at him, serious mode... Wow, that's quite an intense gaze Vlad got there. Ok, no, better take something to eat and aim for casual. Yeah, I'm just eating here and asking casually: What happen Vlad, something is bothering you? Good. Snack ready, now I let our eyes meet while bitin-crap!, juicy snack!, juicy snack! Don't let it stain the shirt! Mmm, tasty juice, I could suck my fingers all night-'_

"I'll go to bed. You can keep eating. There is dessert. G' night" Vlad spoke fast and huskily, before teleporting out of the room.

"What the-" Danny gaped at the empty space in front of him. He couldn't stop thinking about the older halfa during the rest of dinner, even after Clare joined him to chat. And once in bed, Vlad's words and expressions were the last thing in his mind when sleep took over.

NOTES: I think I'm making progress with the searching of a beta reader. I mean, I don't have anything checked yet, but I'm getting there, hahaha. Anyway, I reread the first 3 chapters and made some modifications, I think they are better now.

Enjoy the chapter! (because the story will get heavier from now on, sorry)

Oh! One more thing. Do you want me to write what happen with Vlad in his room tonight? Because I'll definitely have to change the rating if I do so.


	11. Chapter 11: Reasons

Chapter 11: REASONS

 _'Why is mom crying? Mom?'_

"..." _'Why can't I talk? Mom?!'_ "..." _'Oh, God, is that dad on the floor? Why can't I move? Mom!'_ "..." _'Mom, dad, what's happening? Where are we? Mom, mom, please look at me, I'm right here, I- Grrr, Why. Can't. Move. Damn it!'_ "..." _'Oh, no. Mom! Someone is coming. I can hear it, mom, please, look up. I can't look around, mom. Oh God, please, please, look up, mom, please. You have to take dad and get out. Mom- Yessss!'_

"Why Danny?"

 _'What? It wasn't me mom. I don't know how do we get here'_ "..." _'Damn it, damn it. Why can't I talk?'_

"I have experience, my child. And the money and power from using my abilities for personal gain, you see. I could train you, teach you everything I know, and all you'd have to do is renounce your idiot father."

 _'Vlad? What? No! My legs, mom, they are moving on their own, it's not me mom'_ "Lets go dad" _'Noooo! Stoooop! Moooooom! Mooooooom! It's not me mom! it's not true! I don't-Noooooo!'_

"Noo!" Danny jumped in his bed, sheets crumpled in his tight fists, cheeks damp with tears and heart rocketing in his throat.

 **-Knock, knock-**

"Danny?! Are you alright? May I come in?" Clare sounded sickly worried.

"I...Yeah, I'm" Danny didn't know how to finish his sentence. He felt still dazed by the intensity of the dream, it had felt so frighteningly real, he needed some time to sort out what had really happened and what not.

Danny unclenched his hands from the sheets with difficulty, bringing them to his lap, he moved his fingers slowly, reveling in the way his body responded at his commands. _'I left mom and dad, I'm in Vlad's castle... But, no, It wasn't- Vlad wasn't there, we were in the lab. Dad? Was he standing or was he?...No, he was okay, he was moving and talking. I didn't betray them, did I?'_ Danny was distracted from his thoughts by a strong grip in his shoulder, nails digging in through the thin material of the pajamas he had found at the feets of the bed when he went to rest.

"Danny! Look at me, please" Clare was frantic.

"Ouch! Clare, I'm looking now, you can stop with the bodily harm, thank you" Danny peeled Clare's hand off his shoulder and took it in both his hands. She was slightly trembling.

"Oh thank Pariah, Danny, are you ok? What happened?" Clare wasn't trembling anymore, and now her stance was more focused and intense as if waiting for an order to give chase to a prey.

"I'm fine Clare. It was a nightmare." Saying it out loud was like lifting a heavy weight from his shoulders, so he felt the urge to repeat the statement. "Just a nightmare"

"What?" Clare incredulity and confusion was written in all her face.

"Nightmares? When humans sleep, they dream, and when-" Danny's brief explanation of human metabolism was cut short by an exasperated and anxious Clare.

"And do nightmares leaves humans with bruised marks in their heads nowdays?" Clare asked in a tone that screamed 'not in the mood for smart comments right now'.

"What?" Now was Danny the incredulous and confused.

Clare didn't humor him with a response, summoning a mirror from thin air and shoving it at Danny's hands.

Danny saw the red, circular shaped marks reflected in the mirror, right over his temples, just in time before they finished to fade.

"What- How-"

"That's my line Danny. Try to remember what was going on before I came. Are you sure that what happened was just a dream?" This time was Clare who was taking his trembling hands in a worried, but not less supportive way.

"It was a dream. I mean, it felt too real, but there were my parents there and Vlad, and I wasn't in this room. It couldn't have been real. I would never- Believe me it wasn't real." Danny finished a little rashly, remembering the dream unsettled him.

"Ok, Danny. I believe you" Clare said in a sweet tone that in any other person would sound condescending, but in her lips was reasuring. "Do you feel any pain?" Care asked while still trying to proyect calmness with her voice.

"No" Danny responded after a thoughtful check.

"Did you feel any pain during the dream?" Clare continued to ask.

"Not really. I just felt trapted. I wanted to go to my parents, I wanted to hurt Vlad... I think I still do" Danny reflected, having found the sourse of his uneasiness. After the dream, he wasn't confortable staying in Vlad's castle, he wanted to check on his parents. "I should go home" Danny said while rising, but Clare didn't let go of his hands.

"You think you should do what you felt like doing during a nightmare probably induced by a powerful creature we know nothing about" Clare deadpaned.

"I-"

"Lets wake Vlad" Clare promped before teleporting both of them to Vlad's room.

"What?! No, Clare, let go" Danny protested in a hushed cry, trying to get free from Clare's grip without waking Vlad.

"Came on, I'm sure he can help us find out what happened" Clare insisted while pulling at Danny's hands.

"No" Danny was firm in his position.

"Why are you closing your eyes?" Clare asked bewildered.

" I. don't. wanna. have. more. nightmares" Danny punctuated each word with a strong pull of his hands, getting free in the last try.

"What?" Clare asked in the same tone of before.

"What do you think you are doing in my bedroom?" Vlad cut their chat with a voice that promised great pain to come.

"Nothing!"/ "Something attacked Danny in his room!" Danny and Clare shouted in unison.

Vlad was in front of Danny before Clare could finished her sentence, probing Danny's body with his hands and getting franctically slapped in the process for his efforts. When he spoke againg, was concern what dominated his voice.

"Are you alright Daniel?"

"I'm fine. Can you let go of my face please?" Vlad's touch felt particularly more annoying after the nightmare.

Vlad took his hands off Danny's face, but didn't step back nor did the tone of his voice change. "Can you open your eyes Daniel?"

"Are you dressed?" Danny asked instead of answering.

"Yes, Daniel. Yesterday was a extremely rare occasion, not the norm, I assure you." Vlad answered seriously, letting go the chance to mock the boy.

When Danny opened his eyes, the face in front of him showed nothing but concern.

"What happened?" Vlad asked.

"Nothing!" Danny insisted, and took a step back so he could glare at Clare for he next part "There was really NO reason to teleport me to Vlad's bedroom in the middle of the night" Danny thought briefly about the necessity of practicing his death stare, faced with the utterly unperturbed face of the maid.

Vlad too zeroed his attention on her.

"Explain" Was Vlad unyielding command.

"At 4:44 am something was wrong with the house" Clare started dutifully.

"How so?" Vlad prompted her when she paused.

"I can't explain, but I couldn't feel Danny's room clearly anymore" Clare said with a pained expression, as if remembering the episode caused her physical discomfort.

"Feel my room?" Danny's echoed words were totally dismissed by the other two in the room.

"I hurried to Danny's room, but couldn't- I... It felt wrong. I knock at the door, but couldn't muster the courage to open it until the feeling disappeard" Clare's tone waved while narrating the facts. "Once I entered, there was just Danny in the room, he was awake but a little out of it, and had two bruising marks in his head that faded quickly. He just remembered having a nightmare"

Vlad took a moment to take everything in, and turned to Danny again "What do you remember about the nightmare Daniel?"

"It doesn't matter" Danny replied exasperated. Vlad was the last person in the world he would share his nightmare with.

"I think it does" Vlad's voice left no room for arguments.

"I dreamt with you, are you happy?" Danny barked out. The nightmare still too fresh in his memory. He couldn't look at Vlad without remembering the too familiar words, the wheight of his hand in his shoulder, the anguish... Danny was so caught up in his head that missed Vlad's wrecked expression.

'Of course he'll count dreaming with me as a nightmare' Vlad thought bitterly, and teleport out of the room.

"Come on" Said Clare, trying to take Danny by the elbow, but missing thanks to Danny's sharp reflexs.

"Oh no lady, if you teleport me one more time, I'm gonna puke. And where do you wanna take me anyway?" Danny went for funny, but end up sounding a bit hysterical.

"Vlad's lab" Clare said as matter of fact.

"No way I'm going there" Danny said while crossing his arms.

"Vlad's there" Clare added hopefully.

"Even worse?" Danny didn't budge.

"Ok. That's it. What's your problem?" Clare said while mirroring Danny's stance. When Danny didn't look as giving an answer anytime soon, she kept talking "Vlad's been nothing but good to you, and you alternate between threatening him with leaving, and teasing him-"

"What-" Danny cut.

"No, let me finish. And now, what? You 'Want to hurt' him?" Clare said, with air quotes and everything. She was livid. "So tell me, What's your problem? What's wrong with you?"

"What- What's wrong with me?! What's wrong with everyone else?! Everything is upside down. Nothing should have gone the way it went. I should be with my parents and my sister right now, not with the BAD GUY!" Danny practically yelled while pulling at his hair with both hands "This is all a big nightmare" Said in a much more quietly voice.

"The 'bad guy', really? And what are you, the 'good one'?" Clare pressed.

"YESS!" Danny's outburst was cut short by Vlad's suddenly appearance.

"The scanner sensed nothing in Danny's room at 4:44" Vlad stated.

"Good! All this for nothing then" Danny said while sidestepping Vlad in his way to the door, but was stop by the older halfa's vice-like grip on his arm.

"Let. Go. Right. Now. Plasmius!" Were Danny's enraged words while turning into Phantom.

Vlad released his arm, but didn't dismiss the boy. "I said the scanner sensed NOTHING Daniel! Nothing at all, in the room you were currently sleeping in!"

"Maybe the scanner is broken then, I don't care. Nothing happened, just... go back to bed, I'm leaving" Danny said and left the room, Vlad hot on his tail.

"There was nothing wrong with the scanner Daniel. Could you please stop? Where are you going?" Vlad needed his morning cofee asap and Danny wasn't in any way helping with the situation.

"I don't know, I need some air. Stop following me, fruitloop" Danny was fighting the urge to firing an ectoblast at the older halfa.

"Do you really think it's a good idea to leave, without knowing what attacked you, or if it left any lasting damage behind?" Vlad sped up and blocked the hallway, so Danny had to stop "Come on, let me run some tests on you" Said while moving as if he was going to take the younger halfa by the arm.

"Noo!" Danny shriek.

The potent ectoblast took Vlad by surprise, not giving him time to form a shield. The metalic taste of ectoblood filling his mouth was the last drop. Vlad shooted Danny, distracting him so that his invisible clon could lasso the boy with an ectoenergy rope.

"Plasmius! Free me right now or I'll wail!" Danny practically roared.

"No, you won't. I can render you unconscious before you even try. So, you are gonna calm down, or I'm gonna calm you down. Your choice Daniel" It wasn't necessary to see Vlad's face to know there wasn't much choice at all.

"You haven't changed, you haven't changed at all! I can see it now. You can act weirdly and concerned all you want, but you'll never fool me!" Danny was seeing red.

"I'm not trying to 'fool you' Daniel. I'm just trying for you to see reason" Vlad said tiredly.

"Yeah? You are trying to make me see 'your' reasons, don't you Plasmius? 'Teach me everything you know'?" Danny spat his words like venom.

"What?" Danny's dreadly familiar words left Vlad speechless. How many sleepless nights had Vlad reminiscised their first encounter, analising every wrong word, every wrong move. Vlad Master had always been a man hunted by his past, even before becoming a man, even after cesing to be one. He really could do without his little badger's help on that area.

"Well, I have some news for you Plasmius. You. Are. Not. My. Father. You've never been. And you'll NEVER will!" By the time Danny stop shouting his last sentence, his chest was heaving, but he felt as if he could breath a lot easier having washed over the words of 'dream's Danny'.

"I don't want you as my son" Vlad timid response was almost swallowed by the sound of Danny's laboured breathing.

"Probe it" Danny hurried to reply.

"How?" Kissing his little badger senseless was as good an argument as any, but Vlad had the strong suspicion that it wasn't what Daniel was aiming for.

"Let me go" Danny's voice was firm and commanding.

"Do I have to help you remember who was the one who came to me, the one who CHOSE to stay? You are talking as if I were holding you against your will. I-" Vlad was annoyed, however, underneath the annoyance, he was deeply hurt. He had tried to prepare himself for the departure of the younger halfa, but he hadn't thought for it to be so soon, or in such bad termns.

"Says the one holding the ectoropes" Danny interrupted.

"You know what I mean, Daniel" Vlad muttered, but dissipated the ectoropes anyway. "I'm-" Vlad closed his eyes and let go a deep breath. "You wanna leave, Daniel, then leave. I must have some clothes of your size so you can-"

"I bet you have clothes of my size. I'm not using it though!" Danny interrupted Vlad once again.

"The only change of clothes you have here it's filthy Daniel, at least wait for Clare to clean it, or are you gonna take off in my pijamas?" Vlad expression was totally close off, and there was no intonation in his words.

"I'll be really quick Danny, 10 minutes tops" Clare pipped in, trying to ease the mood.

"Ok" Danny had waked from his nightmare with the urgent desire to see Plasmius bleed, to crush him, but the lack of response from the older halfa has left him stuned.

"Use the grey powder for suits, and when you are over bring me coffee to the library" Commented Vlad while passing Clare in the way to his dressing room.

"Sure!" Clare responded before taking Danny by his hand and flying to the guest room.


	12. Chapter 12: Riddle

Chapter 12: RIDDLE

"Grey Powder for Suits? Really?" Was Clare's sassy remark when she brought the coffee.

Vlad's answer was a withering glare that would have muted the Box Ghost himself, but clearly, Clare would be a much older looking ghost if she weren't immune to the kind of looks that promised utter destruction if further provoked.

"Sooo, where is he and why aren't you attached to the scanner screen right now?" Clare continued as if his master wasn't angry, troubled, and bad rested.

Vlad took a large sip of his coffee before letting out a long-suffering sigh. He needed to center himself and focus on the task at hand. Lashing out at Clare would only offered little, instant gratification at the price of more troubles later on, and in what troubles regarded, his plate was already full.

"First, it had to be a code obvious enough for me to rest assured my message had gotten across. And second, my GPSs have an strange ectosignature alarm incorporated. If my little badger gets in contact with a ghost, I'll know instantly. For now, the more productive thing to do is research. Making rushed choices in the dark won´t get me anywhere, and could put Daniel and myself in danger" Vlad explained somberly.

"I know that tone of voice, my master. What have you found so far?" Clare asked concerned, suspending her attempt to lighten the mood after Danny's harsh departure.

"Just the confirmation of a suspicion" Vlad answered grimly. "There is no ghost I had records of that could achieve what took place tonight in Daniel's room"

"I thought you had already completed your census of the ghost zone" Clare said, clearly puzzled.

"I did" Vlad sighed once more while massaging his temple. Perhaps coffee wasn't the best choice for his growing headache.

"I don't understand. That makes no sense...Wait! What about a group of ghosts: One to teleport inside your ghost shield, another to tamper with your technology, one to alter my perception of the manor, and another to mess with Danny's dreams. That would be all, right?" Clare counted with her fingers.

"It's not that simple. First, there is no trace of any unusual ectosignature in the castle. Second, ghosts are usually solitary beings, for a group like that, to work together is extremely unlikely, and there is still the fact of the coordination" Vlad started musing, getting up and wandering aimlessly around the study. "The only form of teleporting so many ghosts is by a dimensional tear. A dimensional tear inside the mansion would had been detected by both you and the scanner immediately. So, even if the technoghost could work fastly enough to deactivate my security before the alarm had triggered, wich would implied a perfect knowledge of the layout of my equipment. Then that would require for the breach to start in the basement, while you were up in the hall. That means, another ghost to erase your memories, but why to bother with that, and then let you aproach Danniel's bedroom?-"

"Maybe Danny was a distraction?" Clare prompted.

"I already checked for any software alteration, but everything is just the way it's supposed to. Do you sense any object missing?" Vlad was eager to find an explanation that spared his little badger of being the focus of danguerous ghosts.

After a quick, but thorought inspection Clare shaked her head despondently.

 _'I'll solve this riddle my dear Daniel, and whatever being was trying to harm you, will pay. I'll pour my soul into it'_ "Clare, bring all my collection of the Ghost Zone's folklore" was Vlad's crisp order.

"All of it?" Clare aked incredulously.

"There is some problem with your hearing Clare?" Vlad growled.

"Fine. You know what? I don't know why I even care. Here you have it, 328 books. And I guess you won't sleep until you had read them all, right? So, I'll have a steady flow of coffee marching" Said an exasperated Clare, puffing a pile of books into existence.

"329" Was Vlad's sole reply.

"Scuse me?" Clare was eyeing Vlad as if he had finally lost his mind.

"My collection is of 329 pieces" Clarified Vlad.

"I know" Clare replied, not getting the point of the exchange.

"How many books did you bring, Clare?" Persisted Vlad with a serious expression.

"All of them, 32...wait" Clare closed her eyes in concentration "I missplaced one of them. I'm so sorry! I don't know how could have happened. I never missplace anything" Clare defended herself.

"I know" Vlad said somberly "You can take all the others books back. I'll start with the one you missplaced, and repalace the coffee for some peppermint tea. Something tells me my headache won't be getting any better in the near future"

* * *

The tome was one of the most ancient of Vlad's collection. It told the story of the creation of everything, full of gorgeous illustrations, and it was clearly ment for children. Merge with the pile, Vlad would had probably dismissed it as irrelevant.

If he had to translate the title, it would probably read something like _The Old Gods' Demise_. ' _Oh, how charming'_

So, according with the story, before existence was only Chaos. The first Old God. Not bounded by any aspect of reality, while expanding it with every new whim. Until to the point, of existence being so vast that it was in danger to collapse in itself, evoking the rise of all the other Gods, rulers and guardians of every aspect of all the things that had been, were or would be. However, the Gods become too lazy and arrogant, refusing to watch over all realms of being themselves, using their powers to create The Observers.

The Gods made The Observers eager to look after everyhing, too eager. Greed and envy defined the nature of the new creations...

"Sir?" Clare interrupted.

Vlad stopped his analysis of the story immediately. Clare knew better than to disrespect Vlad's politics about interruptions, more so given the importance of the present investigation.

"What happened?" The older halfa focused his attention on the nervous maid, who was holding a broken glowing clock in her hands.

"Remember when I looked for something missing in the manor? Well, I never thought of looking for something extra. I was finishing my morning duties when I found it" She rised the clock a little "It doesn't seem dangerous. But I suspected you would want to be informed right away"

"And you were right" Vlad said while approaching the maid.

It was a rather inconspicuous clock, if you ignored the spectral glow. _'What is the saying? Even a broken clock is right twice a day? Mmm... just a matter of minutes before this one have its right moment'_ Vlad's silent musing came to a halt when he inspected the backside of the clock.

It was like going on autopilot. He saw Clare catching the clock. He must had dropped it. He blinked and was in front of the screen that showed Danniel's location. The call to Skulker didn't connect, nor had any report been delivered. He knew Clare was talking, but he couldn't make out a single word she was saying. His ears were ringing, and he could feel that visciously familiar burning threatening to turn its insides to ashes. It wasn't time to crumble though, it was time to pour everything he had into saving his little badger. Were he not successful, then he'd have time to burn himself hollow, but he'll make sure to take down the whole world with him.

 _'Just two dates engraved in a little, inconspicuous, ghost clock'_ thought Vlad while speeding through the Ghost Zone _'It was that easy to make the great Vlad Masters fall apart'_ Yet the devastatingly clear message couldn't be more ominous, should it were accompanied with the seven trumpets of the apocalypse. The first date: Daniel's birthday. The second date: Today. And it was just a matter of minutes before the clock had its right moment...

* * *

 **Writer confession: I am sorry. It wasn't my intent to upset you with my bad writing and poor management of the page. Perhaps trying to practice english by writing a fanfic wasn't one of my brightest ideas :/**

 **I apologise to Freegirl333 and all the people who suffered because of my lack of skills.**

 **If anyone want to edit the chapter, please feel free to send me a message.**


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